Bottle opener with cap retainer



E. C. MARULLI vBOTTLE OPENER WITH CAP RETAINER Filed Feb. es.l 195s INVENToR. fm1-"25h E Tl'lurulll BY EMM 6: M /ITTORNEY United States Patent O P BOTTLE OPENER WITH CAP RETAINER Ernesto C. Marulli, Holyoke, Mass.

Application February 6, 1958, Serial No. 713,601

1 Claim. (Cl. 813.1)

The present invention relates to bottle openers and more particularly to improvements in that type of bottle opener which includes means for retaining a cap after its removal so that the cap may be disposed of in a handy fashion.

While cap retaining means for bottle openers are known in the prior art, they have found little or no commercial acceptance because of complications in their use, eX- pense of construction or lack of reliability. The present invention has for its object to provide a bottle opener having cap retaining means which overcome the limitations of the prior art.

The invention as herein disclosed is characterized by an opener having a handle portion, with a lip extending therefrom for engagement with the underside of a bottle cap and a projection therebeyond for engagement with the top of the cap. Pivotably mounted on the opener is a keeper which has a pair of spaced hook-shaped legs adapted to grip the cap opposite the point at which it is engaged by the lip. Spring means urge the keeper into gripping engagement with the cap as it is removed thereby retaining it on the opener. Thereafter the keeper may be swung to release the cap into an appropriate trash container or the like.

The above and other related objects and features of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description of the disclosure found in the accompanying drawing and the novelty thereof pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of an opener embodying the present invention and showing it in use;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the opener seen in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating a convenient manner of the disposing of a bottle cap removed by the opener seen in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of an alternate embodiment of the invention showing it in use; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the opener seen in Fig. 3.

The opener seen in Figs. 1-3 preferably comprises a sheet metal stamping which provides a handle portion 10. A lip 12 is struck from this stamping and is adapted to engage the underside of a bottle cap c. The end of the stamping beyond the lip 12 is adapted to overlie the cap c and is provided with `a projection 14 which serves as a pivot point about which the lip 12 is swung in remov ing the cap from the bottle. This same end of the stamping is bent to provide upstanding flanges 16 which receive the U-shaped body of a keeper 18. The keeper 18 is pivotably mounted on a pin 20 extending between the flanges 16 and is provided with a pair of hook-shaped legs 22 which are adapted to grip the cap c opposite the lip 12.

' A torsion spring 24 is coiled about the pin 20 and bears against the keeper 18 and the end of the stamping to urge the legs 22 towards the lip 12. From Fig. 2 it will be appreciated that the legs 22 are spread apart a Patented. Feb. 9, 1960 ICC ment with the underside of the cap c as seen in Fig. 1.`

In doing this the legs 22 are cammed outwardly by the upper corner of the bottle cap and then automatically brought into gripping engagement with the cap by the spring 24. At this point, note will be taken that the keeper 18 engages the outer end of the stamping to limit its pivotal movement at 21 and position the legs 22 so that this camming action will be automatically assured.

The handle portion 10 is then raised to remove the cap c and when this is done the keeper legs 22 rmly grip the cap c and retain it on the opener. Thereafter the keeper 18 may be manually depressed to allow the cap to drop into a waste basket or other appropriate trash container. Another convenience is found in that the cap c may be disposed of in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3. Simply pressing the keeper 18 against the inside of a waste basket b will release the grip of legs 22 and allow the cap c to fall freely into the wastebasket.

The alternate embodiment seen in Figs. 4 and 5 also preferably comprises a sheet metal stamping. However, in this case, the thin section of the stamping is usually vertically disposed when the opener is used. The stamping comprises a body portion 30 which is only partially shown and a lip 32 for engaging the underside of the cap c. The stamping is adapted to overlie the cap c and is provided with a projection 34 about which the lip 32 pivots in rem-oving the bottle cap. The U-shaped body of a keeper 36 embraces the outer end of the stamping and is pivotably mounted thereon by a pin 38. The keeper 36 has hook-shaped legs 40 which are spread apart and arranged to grip the cap c opposite the lip 32 in the same three-point fashion referred to above.

A pin 42 extends between the U-shaped body of the keeper 36, with a torsion spring 44 being coiled therearound. The spring 44 bears against the keeper 36 and the stamping to urge the keeper legs 40 into gripping engagement with the cap c'. In Fig, 4 it will be seen that the stamping is provided with an abutment 46 which is engaged by the forward end of the keeper body to limit its pivotal movement so that the legs 40 will be cammed outwardly by the upper edge of the c-ap c when the opener is brought to the operative position of Fig. 4.

The opener of Figs. 4 and 5 may be used in the same fashion as was previously described in connection with Figs. 1-3. The cap c is retained by the keeper legs 40 and may be released when desired either by manual depression of the keeper or by pressing the keeper against the side of a waste basket in the fashion disclosed in Fig. 3.

While I have herein disclosed two embodiments which have been found highly advantageous in attaining the benefits of my present invention, it will be understood that this is merely for illustrative purposes and that no limitations are to be derived therefrom other than what is found in the following claim. Thus it will be appreciated that my invention covers all equivalent struchandle and extending outwardly of the undersurface thereof for engaging the lower edge of a bottle cap, said stamping including a forward portion disposed to overlie said cap and having spaced opposed upstanding flanges, the forward portion of said stamping including a downwardly projecting portion disposed forwardly of said lip providing a fulcrum engageable with said upper surface of the cap at a horizontal distance from the edge portion engaged by said lip of not less than the radius of said cap, a pivot pin supported between said upstanding anges, a keeper pivotally mounted on said pin and including a pair of depending hook-shaped legs for gripping the cap at spaced points generally opposite the edge portion engaged by said lip, said keeper further including a l lever portion extending rearwardly of said pivot pin, and a torsion spring coiled about said pivot pin and including portions engaged with the undersurface of said lever and the upper surface of said stamping urging said hookshaped legs into gripping thatwhen said cap isr removed from a bottle by` said lip it is securely held by said opener at three spaced points by the pair of hooks and the lip, said cap being releasable from said bottle opener by depression of said lever.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS engagement with said cap so r 

